FROM A RESIDENT It’s a bit of a worry! At a group meeting for our Community Campaign Against Residential Prisons, both our Local Member for Bassendean Dave Kelly and a City of Swan representative told us how the State Government have locked both organisations out of the process in approving the location sites for these two prisons in our neighbourhood. So, they are trying to bypass our Local Member of Parliament, bypass the City of Swan, bypass any community consultation… but Colin Barnett doesn’t like it when we use the word “dumping” to describe the placement of these detention facilities. We saw plans for the proposed facilities, they are talking about three metre high razor wire perimeter fences, plus an internal high solid wall with sensors on a large block with a number of buildings and a central exercise area. Two detention facilities, costing $18 million, in one small purely residential suburb that has no other infrastructure or local services nearby. You can call it a ‘Justice Centre’ but if it looks like a prison and quacks like a prison, it’s probably a prison. Or rather two prisons; One to be built opposite some homes facing the same road as Lockridge Primary School in a purely residential area with no other support services or infrastructure in the suburb. The other is to be situated on the grounds of Lockridge High School, on land which currently supports their long running Farm School programme. It is also proposed by the WA Government that housing would be later built around the facility, as a “buffer” between the prison and the school. Dave Kelly said that Minister Helen Morton had told him that they had been looking at 11 potential sites across the Metro area to choose from for these ‘Justice Centres’, but that she refused to tell him what the 11 options were. A shire representative pointed out that City of Swan have been completely bypassed by Barnett in the approval of these locations, removing any consideration for local council guidelines and community consultation that would normally be undertaken by the City of Swan. Another resident also pointed out that both locations breech the State Act that covers the building of these facilities with regards to the proximity to schools and playgrounds, but that this seems to have been ignored so far. How is this the “community consultation” that Minister Helen Morton promised after plans for these exact same facilities were cancelled in Kenwick and Herne Hill last year due to the exact same community concern? Still we can’t get an answer to some basic questions from Helen Morton or Colin Barnett. Why are you not considering locations annexed to existing prisons, hospitals or service precincts? Why two Justice Centres, which are intended to serve the whole of WA, in one small purely residential suburb? Why have you bypassed City of Swan process and ignored State Law governing location of detention facilities? Why have you not consulted with the local community?
Posted on: Sat, 22 Jun 2013 04:58:29 +0000
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